This is the one essay within this website dedicated to musical software - LPs only. I don't enjoy CDs as much, and I lack the required experience with them to make a worthwhile contribution to what has already been written.

This essay is concerned with purchasing LPs, new and used, of Classical Music and will focus on record labels, pressings etc. The information, experiences and advice you will read here are generalizations only. Specific LP recommendations are detailed in an extensive list discussed below.

This is an extensive listing of the finest sounding records I've ever heard, primarily (though not exclusively) of classical music. Most of them are not expensive, if you can find them! I also mention and discuss a number of overrated and expensive records to avoid. Each LP on the list has a short description of its sonic qualities (with the exception of "The Honorable Mentions").

While I will rarely comment on matters of musical taste, the performance etc., I do have a great deal of experience concerning the sonics of many well known labels and their different pressings. For those of you who know little about the sonics of Classical Music LPs and/or still have an "open mind", I will give you the results of countless hours of listening to, and making comparisons of, all types of LPs on various "state of the art" phono reproduction systems.

Much of what you are about to read will be very controversial in some circles, though it shouldn't be. I will tread on the biases, egos, reputations, credibility of a good number of record collectors, dealers and audiophiles, some of them "famous". And, most importantly to them, their personal and business financial investments.

Never judge any record's sonic quality or musical value based on its selling price.

Some of the very best LPs I own only cost me $5 to $10 dollars, not $50, $100 or more. Those expensive "biggies" have usually proved to be huge disappointments in my experience, and not just because my expectations were high. In most cases, they weren't even as good as the better $10 LPs that had no hype. (See TAS #103 p.132) (Ironically, one well known dealer uses an old Dual changer to make judgements on used LPs that he sells for $ 1,000 or more!)

How to tell a Hard-Core "Record Collector" from a "Music Lover"

Serious music lovers are fortunate that serious "record collectors" have a "habit" which will inevitably disclose their true priorities and deepest desires*. It is their unique language and manner of describing records. In contast, when a music lover, or any ordinary person, wants to describe a particular recording, they will name the composer, performer(s) etc.

That is not true of serious "record collectors". They will almost always name only the record number. This is particularly true if they are only with their fellow "collectors".

Here is just one "Example" of how these two groups describe one famous record:

"Hard-Core Collector"- 2446, 10S (Please do not ask me to interpret these numbers.)

Could there be more of a contrast?

This means, in effect, that all the effort and unique talent that was required to compose and perform this music has been reduced by (the mentality of) the "collectors" to a couple of numbers.

*Can a "record collector" also be a "music lover"? Yes, but their descriptive language is still the undeniable sign of their first love; And that is "The Record".

In other words...

Music lovers collect music that happens to be in the form of records. The records are irrelevant unto themselves, being just a necessary means to an end. Their ultimate objective is to possess and enjoy the music. Meanwhile...

Record collectors collect records that just happen to have music on them. The music itself is basically irrelevant to them. Their ultimate objective is to possess the record which, from their perspective, is some form of a "trophy".

It is inevitable that there will be disagreements and controversies concerning which records, pressings, labels etc sound the best. It is unavoidable considering tastes, LP conditions, audio systems, recording philosophies, emotional attachments etc. etc.

The Extraordinary Claim

The real surprise is the astonishing claim of many reviewers and collectors that none of the "original pressings", many of them manufactured 30 to 45 years ago, have ever been equaled, let alone surpassed, by any of the subsequent "reissues". These reissues include those either from the distant past (by the original labels) or the recent reissues using the most advanced mastering and pressing equipment, from small, independent companies (Classic Records, Cisco etc).

These people, in effect, do not recognize any technological advancements in mastering or pressing records. They don't even acknowledge any enhanced technical skills (the normal "learning curve") by the mastering engineers, due to their increased knowledge and experience.

What's Their "Evidence"?

With very few exceptions (like RCA-see below), the proponents of original pressings have provided absolutely no supporting scientific or technological explanations for their strict, dogmatic beliefs. They have only referred to casual, subjective and haphazard anecdotal comparisons. Further, virtually all of these "comparisons" were made only with their fellow collectors, who just happened to share their exact same beliefs. In other words, they will studiously avoid any situation that may cast the slightest doubt on their strict doctrine.

For instance, they will never, under any circumstances, agree to a "blind" comparison of LP pressings (when they don't know which of the LPs is the "original"). Why not?

Because when (not if) they eventually admit that even one reissue sounds better, their entire myth of the superiority of all original pressings is forever disproven. That would mean they would then have to actually take the time and effort to listen to all the reissues and make hard judgements, instead of their current, fundamentalist, non-thinking and robotic search for the earliest possible pressing.

To a (true believing) used record dealer, or collector; all rare, old LPs, on all labels, will always sound better than any more common, easier to find, and cheaper reissues. What an incredible coincidence! How fortuitous! How simple life is!

Bottom Line- "Rarity" has absolutely no correlation with technical quality.

CAVEAT- The above discussion is strictly concerned with Classical Music recordings and pressings. Because of very different markets, standards, engineering procedures, economics, history and buyers' expectations, the reissues of NON-Classical recordings are almost always inferior to the original pressings.

Now I must bring up some "bad news" that is rarely shared with the LP buying public...

Anyone with extensive experience dealing with (and comparing) particular pressings of a particular recording will eventually come to a very distressing realization: Not only do the different pressings sound different (as can be expected), so may IDENTICAL PRESSINGS!

Identical pressings (the same mother, stamper etc.) may sound different depending on a variety of (unknowable) factors:

1. The manner in which it was played and stored (if it was used),

2. How (and when) it was pressed (at the beginning, middle or end of "the run")

3. The length of time it was in the stamping machine, and

4. The quality of the vinyl

How can you tell which pressing sounds the best? That's easy.

You have to play them!

The Inevitable Moral- If sonics are the priority, never purchase a truly expensive record without recourse, no matter what the stamper number is claimed to be, or the "reputation" of the seller.

A True Anecdote

One (well known) LP 'collector/reviewer/dealer' visited a friend of mine a few years ago to make LP comparisons. He was a real, hard-line Original Pressing-Fundamentalist; He firmly believed it is essentially "impossible" for any reissue to ever sound as good as any original. Upon arriving, he immediately announced that he would never participate in any blind comparisons of LPs.

The actual listening comparisons were both funny and sad. My friend put on a large variety of pressings, including some excellent reissues, but no matter what the famous collector heard, he always preferred the original. If the original was cleaner and more transparent, he would say "See, I told you so", but if the reissue, instead, was similarly cleaner and more transparent, he would then say "The reissue must have been 'goosed up'!".

In other words, under absolutely no circumstances would this collector ever knowingly admit that any reissue was superior, in any manner, to an original pressing. (A "blind test", of course, would be unknowingly.)

In this instance, he even refused to recognize and believe what he was actually hearing with his own ears. That is the classic description of a "true believer", and also of psychotics.

As for the sonic generalities on labels; below will be the actual truth, which readers will very rarely, if ever, hear from used record dealers and, especially, "collectors", because they have too much $$$, or "prestige", at stake in keeping up the status quo.

Important Notes- My friends and I have made a number of "blind tests" to verify the observations and conclusions you will read here.

Most of the very best orchestral and (especially) opera recordings I have ever heard are from the Decca label, but their overall sonics are very variable. This is in contrast with their rival EMI, which are more uniformly excellent (though not reaching the highest standards of Decca).

Even worse, their pressings are also very variable, so what I have written below are true generalizations. The best pressings, in descending order, are:

1. Late British - Middle 1970's to 1979 - These pressings are almost always your best and safest choice. They have the important advantage of rarely having a serious sonic problem.

These records are difficult to distinguish from the other Decca/London's. However, they do have a shinier, darker vinyl compared to the earlier pressings. The record labels also look a little more "modern" and the printing appears in better "focus". They almost always combine an "immediate" and "clean" sound, with excellent dynamics and bass.

Unfortunately, these pressings are somewhat rare, not because of the demand, but rather there were never many of them pressed in the first place. Sadly, only a small part of the London/Decca catalogue was mastered and pressed during this period but, fortunately, the Dutch pressings (at least partially) came to the rescue.

Are there some scientific/technical reasons for their sonic superiority?

Yes:

1. They used superior cutting heads and mastering amplifiers during this period (see TAS #102 p.133).
2. The engineers also had more accumulated experience by this time (I do recognize "the learning curve").
3. They used purer and quieter vinyl.
4. The inner sleeves used rice paper instead of the earlier (sticky and noisy) plastic which could bond to the vinyl.

(Important Note- "Collectors" have NEVER acknowledged any technological advancements in the production of records after around 1965.)

2. Dutch- Most Dutch pressings will rival the finest Late British and, in a few rare instances, are "The Best". The Dutch pressings, which were actually mastered in England, almost always equal, or prove superior to, the Late British in immediacy, purity and transparency. Their sonic advantages over the even earlier pressings are that much more pronounced.

However, some Dutch pressings are "dry" and/or have weak and rolled-off bass. In some instances, considering the music, audio system and listening tastes, these problem(s) are serious enough to be disqualifying.

Dutch pressings replaced the Late British during 1979. Since they were still available when the "great record panic" started in the early 1980's, the used record dealers dumped on these cheap competitors for obvious financial reasons. I must admit to also falling for this propaganda at the time, and I only bought a few Dutch pressings out of sheer desperation. Eventually, I found some "good original pressings" to replace the so-called "Dutch junk".

It is an understatement to say I was shocked when I discovered that the Dutch were better in most instances. It was these specific experiences that forced me, and my audiophile friends, to make our own comparisons. (It is also the reason that I no longer trust "collectors" and "dealers".) Today, I actually look for Dutch (or Late English) pressings, mainly to compare with my earlier British equivalents.

3. Middle British - Pressings between 1968 until the Middle 1970's. These are the easiest to find. They were mastered using cutting heads that were a noticeable improvement* over the cutting heads used in the earliest pressings, but they are still not as clean sounding as the late British or Dutch (which used further improved mastering equipment and probably superior vinyl).

However, they are still better than the earliest Londons (the Bluebacks) or the equivalent Deccas. Because they are the most common, they sell for a lot less than the earliest pressings.

Some of the problems with these pressings, and also the earliest British, seem to be caused by the sticky, plastic inner sleeves, that sometimes even bind directly to the record. The late British and Dutch pressings used a different, non-sticky sleeve. (I advise changing these sleeves immediately after purchase.)

The vinyl also looks inferior on these earlier pressings, it's not quite as black, as though the vinyl wasn't as pure. In any event, the later pressings, both the British and Dutch, are generally much quieter and allow more low-level musical information to be heard.

*As stated in "The Audiophiles Guide to London Bluebacks" written by Robert Moon & Michael Gray (on page 20):

"...there is a harsh brightness to the Decca-London early stereo records because the disc cutters were weak in reproducing frequencies above 10khz. The pressings made after 1968--to my knowledge all FFRR--were made with the Neumann SX-68 helium-cooled disc cutter which could reveal the sweet high frequenices on the original tape. It's for that reason that the later FFRR pressings are often superior to the early FFSS pressings."

4. Early British (1958 to 1968) - These are the oldest, rarest and most expensive pressings. In addition, they are also the poorest sounding and usually in the worst condition. This was not caused by any lack of effort or incompetence, but the engineers back then simply had relatively poor quality mastering equipment to work with (see above), at least compared to the equipment that was available in the later years.

I always think of the classic children's fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" when contemplating people collecting these records, at sometimes ridiculously high prices. Many people hear what they want to hear. They remind me of the (OJ) Simpson jurors in their denial of the obvious reality. In this instance, an inferior product in virtually every way, except some of the fascinating original covers.

Now that the recent 180 gram reissues have come out, most of the "originals" have even less going for them. The recent reissues almost always sound much better, plus they are new and they even have the desirable original covers. Now there are no reasons, except nostalgia and "prestige", to buy virtually any of the originals that have been reissued. The only early pressings that are true "must buys" are those very few that have never been reissued (even be Decca itself). Those records are real "collector's items".

The one thing to remember is: don't automatically associate sonic excellence with rarity or "collectibility". Sometimes they're synonymous, but mostly they are not.

Other Decca/London (Classical) Pressings

London "Stereo Treasury Series"- These (budget) records from this label, which were made in England, and not the United States, have the same amount of variability as all the other pressings from England. This means that the LPs from this series are usually as desirable as any others from this company, and the prices are usually much cheaper. This is also true of the (rarer) English Decca reissues ("Jubilee" etc.).

The one problem I have noticed, over time, is that there is generally more "background noise" with these pressings. It sounds like either inferior vinyl was used, or they are the final pressings of a particular stamper. This problem is not always obvious on any particular record, but it is noticeable when listening to an assortment of them and making the comparisons to the earlier equivalents. The U.S. pressings are to be avoided.

U.S. Pressings- Some U.S. pressings sound quite decent, but they are always worse than the British and Dutch. Avoid them if you can. However...

Canadian Pressings- From Montreal, are better than the U.S. pressings, but they are still not the equal of the Late British or Dutch. Some of them are very impressive. Only a few titles were pressed and they are cheap.

A Very, Very Special Decca Label...

Decca Headline

This Decca label specialized in recording classical music composed after World War II, so many of the titles are considered "Avantgarde". There were only 24 titles released in the entire series, and I have heard (and own) almost all of them. Why is this tiny label also so special to audiophiles in particular? Very simple...

The Bottom Line- The recording quality of every single LP in the series is the among the finest I have ever heard. Accordingly, I can state, with a greater confidence than with any other label I've yet heard, that a Decca Headline LP is guaranteed to have outstanding sonics. (Whether the actual music they recorded is also enjoyable, is a completely different issue, and totally irrelevant to the main point I've made.)

This essay would be incomplete if I didn't address this Issue: Are Deccas better than Londons?

The short answer is;

Sometimes they are and sometimes they are NOT.

It all depends on when and where they were mastered and pressed, as described above. When the respective LPs are both mastered and pressed at exactly the same time and place, then they will usually sound the same. In other words, identical pressings, with different labels, almost always sound exactly the same.

However, there is one "Caveat" to the above statement, and also one "Exception".

The CAVEAT- Even "Identical Pressings" may sound different, as previously discussed above.

The EXCEPTION- Decca and London Phase Four records did have different masterings. That is a documented fact.

Why are Deccas more expensive than Londons?

The monetary premium you pay for DECCA is for the relative rarity of the Decca "brand name" on the jacket and on the inner label, and the subsequent extra demand for them. This "extra demand" is due to the hype and nonsense (discussed below) of the used record dealers and "collectors", who are usually the same people. It is not based, in any manner, on the superior technical quality of the Decca record.

The only practical advantage Decca has is in their (early) box sets, where the records can be played in chronological order, without constantly changing LPs. This is in contrast to their (early) London equivalents, which were meant to be used with "automatic" turntables, which had records "stacked" above the platter. Later box sets, for both Decca and London, are the same, and can be played in chronological order.

The Collector and Dealer Perspective and "Wisdom"

Of course, the "collectors" and the dealers will tell you that Deccas, all of them, are consistently superior to Londons and, further, that the earliest pressed Deccas are "the best of them all". The fact that both the Deccas, and the earliest pressings, are also the rarest and most difficult to find, is just another "unfortunate (and innocent) coincidence", of course.

This "conventional wisdom" that first;

"All the Deccas are better", and second:
"The earliest pressings are always the best of the bunch",

is absurd, irrational and just plain ignorant, and it's extremely dishonest as well, as I will demonstrate just below.

We are now going to closely examine the many implications of this First "Rule": that Deccas are always better than Londons, and later their Second "Rule": that the earliest pressings, of either label, are always superior to the later pressings.

Caution- The reader is now going to enter a bizarre world of fantasy, paranoia, ego, greed and wishful thinking.

The Fantasy, Egotistical (and Greedy) World of Decca Record Collectors and Dealers

Let us start with some historical facts, first- All of the Decca and London records we are discussing were pressed in England for around 25 years, and then for around 5 years after that in Holland. Further...

The Deccas and Londons both used:

1. The exact same master tapes and
2. Were pressed at the exact same time;
3. Within the exact same plants4. Used the exact same vinyl and
5. Were mastered by the exact same engineers (around 10 of them), during the entire 30 year period we are focusing on.

What does this all mean?

Well, if Deccas were actually better than Londons, All of the below events would have had to have happened.

The Hypothetical Events

1. There would have had to have been a policy decision, at the highest corporate level, to deliberately sabotage (degrade) the sonic quality of every single London Classical LP during this entire 30 year period, from around 1955 to 1985. Why?

2. This decision would have had to have been known to the North American Importers of the London label, for the entire 30 year period. Further, they would have had to have acquiesced in this policy, if not actually requested it.

Why would they do this? (If not, they were all undeniably grossly negligent, or incompetent, during this entire 30 year period.) They have also never acknowledged this policy, at the time, or since then. Why?

3. The chief engineer, and every one of the 10 or so mastering engineers, would have had to have carried out this odious task of deliberate and consistent degradation and sabotage, for 30 years. They must have performed these duties without complaints or any type of notice (even confidential) to the classical music and/or audio press, or to the buying public. Why?

4. These same engineers would have had to:

A. Invent a method to deliberately degrade the sound on a consistent basis, and

B. Take the necessary precautions to separate the numerous masterings of the Deccas from the even more numerous sabotaged Londons, so that they wouldn't be confused with each other within the pressing and packaging plants (if not, they would be defeating all the efforts of #A).

Achieving task #B was even more difficult when you consider...

They did not have the practical benefit of any visible, engraved indication on any of the thousands of stampers they used. (Even the "collectors" have admitted that the engraved, stamper information is identical for both labels, and absolutely indistinguishable from each other.)

This means that it would be essentially impossible to identify a Decca stamper from a London stamper once they were inadvertently disordered.

Collectors, in effect, have made the miraculous claim that not even one "mix-up" ever occurred during the entire 30 year period, despite the multiple handling of many thousands of indistinguishable stampers by hundreds of employees. (Not even one of the hundreds of Decca employees has ever come forward to verify the collectors' version of the events during this 30 year period.)

5. The recording artists, conductors and orchestras, and even some (then living) composers, would have had to have been:

A. Kept totally "in the dark" about the sabotage over the entire 30 years, or have been...
B. Totally unconcerned about the degradation of their whole-hearted efforts, or
C. Have unanimously agreed to it, and then kept it secret over all these years. Why?

I would like to ask two simple questions to the readers of this essay:

1. Why would Decca ever agree to this sabotage in the first place, since there could have been no cost savings to complete the degradation process?

In fact, it would have cost Decca more money to go to all the trouble of making two completely separate mastering and pressing processes that still had to appear identical to the buying public.

2. Since Decca only used the name "London" because they couldn't legally use the name "Decca" in the North American marketplace, did they actually then take some advantage of this legal scenario to produce inferior records for this market?

Or was it their plan to sell inferior products to the North American market from the beginning? If so, how would they have then distinguished the two different products using the exact same name?

This isn't all though...

The Early Pressing Delusion and Con Game

Unlike RCA and Mercury, amongst others, Decca had virtually the same engineers mastering their records over a long period of time. You can check this out by looking at the inner label where you will see their designations: "G", "W", "Y", etc. What does this mean?

If the collectors and dealers are correct about their "rule" of: The earlier the pressing, the better the sound, this would mean all of the following events would also have had to have occurred during a 30 year period:

The Next Hypothetical Events

1. The engineers, every one of them, would have had to have made their one and only "best effort" to master a particular recording the first time they attempted to master it, and even then, only when they knew, for certain, that it would be a Decca LP. After that, to a man, they would have all agreed to never again attempt to improve on that first effort. This would be the case even when superior technology became available at a later date.

2. During each subsequent re-mastering, they would have had to deliberately degrade the sound a little more than the most recent mastering of that same recording.

3. To ensure that the degradation became consistently worse with each re-mastering, they would have had to have kept detailed notes, specifications and instructions, so that they, or their replacement engineers, wouldn't "screw-up" and actually improve the sound by "mistake".

4. To make these degradations, in measurable increments and on a consistent basis, they would have had to invent, and build, some type of "degradation device", or a foolproof "degradation procedure", which they could then rely on to make their degradations; without any unusual difficulty or any possibility of "failure".

5. Meanwhile, don't forget that the engineers would also have had to made sure that this deliberate degradation of the Deccas was not as great as the deliberate degradation of the Londons, or else the Londons would actually sound better than the Deccas. This would contradict the "official corporate policy" that Deccas must always sound better than Londons, and waste all their efforts previously discussed above. This extra consideration would have required even more extensive notes and instructions.

6. All of the above degradation would have been accomplished despite the many technical improvements* in mastering equipment (both cutting heads and amplifiers), mastering techniques**, pressing equipment, pressing techniques and vinyl formulations discovered and acquired over the entire 30 year period.

*See discussion of both "Late" and "Middle British" Decca/London pressings above.
**Collectors don't even admit that these engineers had a "learning curve".

If this is all true, what does it say about these engineers...

7. During this entire 30 year period, not even one of the engineers had the courage and integrity to inform the public and the press as to the deliberate sonic sabotage of the records being sold to the public. That's not all...

During this same period, not even one engineer had the curiosity and spirit to use the improved mastering tools and produce a superior mastering. This means that...

In effect, the "collectors" (and dealers) are claiming that these engineers, all of them, lived a fraudulent professional life.

They allege that these engineers promoted and discussed technological improvements in the mastering process, while either knowing these "improvements" weren't real, or went to great lengths to make sure that the public would never hear these potential improvements.

Conclusion

I truly pity any reader who actually believes that these "events" could have actually occurred in real life. Such "true believers" do exist; just subscribe to "Phonogram" and you will find out who some of them are. They include well-known "record reviewers", who haven't made the effort (or lack the intellectual ability) to think out the full implications of their crackpot "theories".

Some of them are "believers" strictly out of greed; others need to believe this nonsense to justify their financial (and emotional) investments, and some of them, the most pathetic of the lot, must believe in these fantasies because they feel their record collections, and their esoteric knowledge concerning these early pressings, actually make them "special" and reflect their worth as human beings. Some fit into more than one of these categories.

To actually believe that all these above imaginary, degenerate, malicious actions and conspiracies are real historical events and truths (and which form the underlying foundation that the Decca/Early pressings have real sonic advantages) is beyond my comprehension.

If this isn't a moronic belief process, I don't know how else to describe it.

Always remember...

Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence!

The collectors and the dealers have provided NONE.

The most accurate and straightforward term I can think of when describing these particular "collectors" is: "Labelists". This reflects their combined prejudice, insecurity, ignorance and snobbery.

The REAL Difference between the Decca/London Pressings

I have finally (and reluctantly) decided to "spill the beans". Anyone who has read this far will now know what took me years to learn: the real, secret method to find the best pressings of the Decca/London/Argo LPs. It's very simple: Look for a "G" pressing in the "dead wax". "G" stands for Ted Burkett, a Decca mastering engineer.

Example-Albeniz-Suite Espagnol-London CS 6581-"ZAL-8284-3G"

Burkett's masterings are virtually ALWAYS superior to the others, though "W" (Harry Fisher) is (sometimes) almost as good. I don't know why, though I assume he had superior mastering equipment, because skill alone, even if he was a "genius", can not account for all the sonic improvements I have consistently experienced with his masterings. (Greater purity, transparency and detail, plus a more extended high-end, a lower sound-floor etc.).

Bottom Line- If there is a choice, always get the G pressing, if not available, then get the W pressing. After that, you are on your own.

Further-
"ZAL"- Means it's a "stereo" recording
"8284"- Is the number of the recording
"3" of "3G"- Means it's the third lacquer made for that recording.

Important Pressing Information from a Reader

I just received this letter from a reader concerning British Decca Pressings. Here it is, slightly edited:

"On your website you write about late British Deccas:
These records are difficult to distinguish from the other Decca/London's. However, they do have a shinier, darker vinyl compared to the earlier pressings. The record labels also look a little more 'modern' and the printing appears in better 'focus'.

I was just checking two of these (box sets 85d and 156d), and noticed that the date is printed on the lower corner of the inner sleeve. The 85 is of 1977 and the sleve states 1-78 and the 156d, 9-79. This seems credible to me, since on the later is even handwriten the date 25/3/1980." (8/05)

Personal Note- I have now checked a few of my own Deccas, and found that the relevant dating information is indeed on the BACK of their familiar inner sleeve, in the bottom left hand corner, though ONLY on the later pressings. This is also true for the Argo, London etc. pressings that I checked out. Many thanks to this helpful reader.

Documents that proves that London and Decca LPs were pressed from the exact same Masters

For around 20 years now, I have made the "controversial" claim that Decca and London Classical Records were manufactured to the exact same high standards*. Meanwhile, almost all classical record collectors and used record establishments have claimed, in stark contrast, that the Londons, all of them, were deliberately sabotaged to sound worse than the Deccas, despite the firm denials by all of the actual Decca engineers and marketing executives. Since most people still believe in this "London sabotage conspiracy", the Deccas are much more valued by "serious collectors", and, of course, sell for a much higher price.

(*With the important exception of the "Phase 4" series.)

Some time ago now, I received an e-mail from a reader in Europe. Here it is, with some minor editing:

"I have an original Decca factory sample LP of SXL 6036, dated October 9th 1962, which includes the actual approval sheet from Decca, stating which labels are to be printed from this master; those being Londons and Deccas, both in stereo and mono. This is the ultimate proof on your thoughts that Londons and Deccas are the same.

I have closed many disputes over this issue, even to very hardcore Decca collectors, some of which also have offered me substantial amounts of money to buy this proof (some of them were dealers of classical records, so I think they had destruction in mind)."

Personal Note- I can now provide a Link to the above mentioned document, which proves, beyond any doubt, that Decca and London records were made from the exact same master. Here it is:

Further- Better yet, I also have my own pictures as well, of not only the above discussed document, but now even another separate document, which confirms the first:

Case Closed!

Decca Classical Recordings

For a variety of reasons, my favorite classical record label has always been (UK) Decca (and "London" of course). Here is a fascinating and informative article that anyone interested in Decca recordings should read:

1. Middle to Late Pressings- Pressings from around 1970 to the end. There is less variability with EMIs than Londons. Sometimes the 1970's pressings (postage stamps) are a little warmer and more full-bodied than the late pressings (large Nippers), particularly if they have thicker vinyl, but the late EMIs usually sound more immediate, cleaner etc.

The "collectors" always prefer the earliest pressings, but that's just their predictable bias. Remember, like the Dutch London's, the large Nippers were still available in the 1980's and you know the rest by now. Don't fall for it.

2. Early pressings- from the late 50's to the late 60's. These records are very rare and expensive, and don't sound very good. They are (like the early London's) veiled, distorted and lack bloom, inner detail and dynamic shading. Any middle to late pressing will sound much better.

However, unlike London/Decca, only some were reissued so the originals may be all you can find (if you can!) in many instances. They are fun to hold and look at, even to play, at least until you hear a superior later pressing your friend bought for 20% of the price you paid.

Note- Many of the original EMIs were marketed under the Columbia label, using a "SAX" prefix. They are actually EMI recordings, regardless of the name used then.

3. Non-English Pressings- The first and most important rule is to avoid all North American Pressings (Angels), with the one important exception of those LPs that are from digital recordings. The Angels used inferior (regenerated) mastering tapes and mastering equipment, and inferior, noisy vinyl. The North American budget label (Seraphim) was even worse than the Angels.

German pressings can be as good as the English if the original recording was made in Germany. They can be almost as good when recorded elsewhere, with a further advantage that they may have quieter pressings. Unfortunately, their notes and librettos are rarely in English.

French pressings can also be quite good, but are usually somewhat veiled and colored compared to either the English or German. They are still far preferable to those from North America.

1. Early Pressings- This time the dealers and collectors are right! The earliest pressings are the best, and the earlier the better most of the time. That is if you can find them in good condition.

The differences between the early pressings are normally small, and are greatly exaggerated by the collectors and dealers. Sometimes though, the differences are large, even with identical pressings. The later pressings became progressively worse. The recent reissues (from Classic), discussed below, are the real competition.

2. Later Pressings- Late 1960's until the 1980's. Big disappointments. Very few sound excellent. The recent reissues from Classic Records make these pressings obsolete, unless you're really on a tight budget, or don't care about sonics. But then, if that were the case, you wouldn't be reading essay this in the first place.

3. Victrola Budget Reissues- These were the budget reissues made by RCA themselves that came out shortly after the "Shaded Dog" originals. A rare few of them are also "originals". They have a good reputation with the "collector crowd", who are easily impressed by anything that is "old". I've owned a large number of them, and I found them to be noisy and distorted compared to the full priced Shaded Dogs. If I had to guess the technical reasons for this, I would say the use of inferior and noisy vinyl plus the use of worn and/or inferior stampers. I would avoid them if possible.

It is a historical fact that RCA, through a publicized corporate policy, both cheapened and altered their records (all for the worse) from the Late 1960's and on.

First it was Dynagroove, which was a process that added an unnatural equalization to the sound, that was supposed to compensate for listening at "average volumes".

Then came Dynaflex, which were records pressed with the least amount of vinyl in history. The resulting number of warped and noisy LPs was unprecedented, at least for Classical Music records.

At the time, RCA actually stated that these two alterations were "improvements". No one believed them, especially after hearing the miserable, audible results of these two changes; which were obvious to any objective listener. Since then, even RCA has acknowledged that both of these "innovations" were mistakes.

The (Unintended and Unpredictable) Consequences

Taking an unscrupulous advantage of this undeniable reality, concerning just one label, used record dealers and collectors proclaimed that all classical record reissues, on all labels, were inferior to the early and original pressings, despite absolutely no technical evidence to support their all-inclusive "theory". (There is evidence that some other labels, Everest, Mercury etc. also decided to compromise their sonics for various reasons, but there is a huge difference between "some" and "all".)

Audiophiles and novice record collectors bought into these "observations", because, at the time they were published (20 years ago), the audiophile community believed everything it read, to the degree of ignoring what they actually heard with their own ears.

In this case, the originals were so rare, that extremely few people, with an objective perspective, had the opportunity to make actual comparisons, which would have verified (or disproved) the supposed superiority of all the originals. When no challenges were made, or at least printed, the observations became "conventional wisdom", and finally, "undisputed laws".

As far as I am aware, this essay and website are the first, and only, challenge to these "laws". It will remain so because I have made the comparisons and I now know that these "laws" have absolutely no foundation in reality. In other words, they are a "big lie". As the Nazi propaganda master, Joseph Goebbels, once said, and I paraphrase;

"The bigger the lie, the easier it is to believe".

The people who proclaim and propagate these "laws" are the true enemies of both the many, maligned recording and mastering engineers, who made real, unrecognized, sonic improvements over a two decade period, and also the numerous audiophiles and music lovers, who are not enjoying the results of these engineers' superior equipment and efforts, based on only self-serving lies, greed and prejudice.

1. "Golden Import/Series" from Holland and Canada- There is no greater misinformation concerning pressings than that about the Mercurys. After around 25 comparisons with early originals, reissues and then the final Dutch pressings, I've come to the conclusion that, in about 75% of the time, the Dutch sound best overall.

However, there are two potential problems with the Dutch pressings; in some instances they put too much music on one side, which severely compresses dynamics and also increases distortion. The other problem is that many have rolled off bass. Finally, some original Mercurys were never reissued.

In general though, just like the Decca/London's described above, the Dutch Mercurys are cleaner, more transparent, less noisy and have considerably more low-level information; air, ambiance, decay etc. This only makes sense, since they used superior cutting amplifiers than those available 20 years earlier, plus much purer and cleaner vinyl. The newer pressings are also much quieter and don't have that "old record" sound.

The rare English Mercurys are even better in some ways, but only a few were ever issued, and some with Philips covers. The Canadian pressings (Golden Series) were presumably mastered with tube amplifiers and are also excellent, and even cheaper (and rarer).

How people can truly believe there can be progress in only the playback of records and not in their mastering and pressing remains a total mystery to me. This manner of thinking is completely irrational, if not degenerative.

2. Earliest pressings- These are probably the most overrated records of all time. In fact they're the "Linn Sondek" of software, but the dealers and collectors are correct when they state that the earliest U.S. pressings are superior to the later ones. It's very similar to the RCA situation, if you ignore the Dutch and Canadian (and the very rare English) Mercurys in the mix.

The originals do have some excellent things going for them; they have outstanding bass and dynamics, mainly due to their laudable efforts and the short times on the sides. They also have a large and focused soundstage. If there was a method to combine the strengths of the Dutch and the early "originals", you would have some of the finest LPs ever made.

However, the earliest pressings will usually be in questionable condition, and remember that they used inferior vinyl and were noisy to begin with. What a dilemma! It was all supposed to be solved with the new reissues from Classic Records, but only 6 ever came out.

3. Late U.S. pressings- The dealers and collectors are correct in this instance; the later the pressings the worse they sound. I don't know why (to reduce tracking problems?) or how (there must be a technical reason), but it's true and there is anecdotal evidence that supports this account. Our best hope is that the Mercury reissues start up again sometime soon.

Mercury "Living Presence" Versus "Golden Imports"

There was a thread in Audiogon on this controversial subject in December 2006. As usual, one of the posters wrote that it was "laughable" that I (or anyone) could ever claim than any reissue, such as the Golden Imports, even approached the incredible, and near flawless, sonic standards of the original "Living Presence" Mercurys. So I decided to make another comparison of two Mercurys, with the exact same musical compositions; The very famous "Winds in Hi-Fi": 1. SR90173 (the original, which is also on the TAS/HP "Super Disc" List*) and 2. SRI 75093 (the Golden Imports) Dutch reissue.

The results actually surprised me. I thought it would be closer, but the Golden Imports was so far superior to the Living Presence that I was concerned about how I would concisely describe the full scope of the differences** between them. Well, it's like the differences between the finest moving coil you've ever heard, and a decent $ 50 moving magnet, and that's being kind about the MM. To be frank, and to skip the diplomacy...

When I played the Living Presence, it actually sounded like I had exchanged a component in my system with one that was defective (but still working), and that's not an exaggeration. The differences were not "audiophile" in nature; Your half-deaf neighbor or brother-in-law can easily hear what I'm describing. In my almost 40 years as an audiophile, plus in my two decades of owning an audio store, where I participated in thousands of component comparisons, with every type of audiophile imaginable, I can never remember any time when someone preferred the degree of sonic degradation clearly audible with the Mercury Living Presence.

I've read about the concept of "cognitive dissonance". There's one famous historical example of it, which I don't know for certain actually occured: The island natives, in 1492, apparently weren't able to "see" Christopher Columbus' ships floating in the ocean, because they were so alien to their imagination of what was possible. Anyone who compares these two records***, and actually prefers the Living Presence to the Golden Imports, suffers from the same condition, or worse.

*I'm amazed that Harry Pearson was impressed enough with this record's mediocre sound to actually distinguish it. I couldn't disagree more with his assessment, since I've heard literally thousands of better soundings LPs. This one record, on its own, reveals the stark contrast between the respective sonic standards of Pearson and myself.

**The Golden Imports was much more immediate, transparent, natural, cleaner, quieter and had considerably more inner and outer details, greater separation of instruments, plus superior micro and macro dynamics. The sound-floor was also much lower. The bass and soundstage were about the same on both. The Living Presence had a touch more "body".

***I'm not making a "Rule" about all Mercury pressings because of this one particular comparison. Many of the other Golden Imports reissues have their own problems, mainly because there was too much music mastered on them, so neither of the pressings is always better than the other. The main point I'm making here is simple: Ignoring the technical limitations and the engineering problems of the late 1950's/early 1960's, plus the cheap vinyl used by Mercury back then, is a fool's choice with real-life consequences; wasted money and inferior sonics.

Mercury Pressings "Shoot-out" Part II (2008)

I recently made a 3-way comparison of a famous (TAS listed) Mercury recording; "Winds in Hi-Fi". The recording was made around 50 years ago (1958). I am fortunate to have a mint copy of the earliest original pressing (SR90173), plus the Mercury Golden Imports Reissue (SRI 75093) and now a new copy of the recent Speakers Corner (180 gram) Reissue.

In the past couple of years, I've received a number of letters from readers asking me for my opinion of these latest reissues, but I never heard one of them until now. (I attempted to purchase almost all of the Speakers Corner Mercurys from Acoustic Sounds, along with many other LPs, but they refused to give me my former modest discount, so I cancelled the order. I purchased this particular reissue on eBay. I have never received "free review" LPs from anyone.)

Comparison One- Original "Living Presence" Vs. Golden Imports

I already made this comparison back in 2007, but I duplicated it because I wanted to be thorough. The results were the same: The Golden Imports (GI) "wipes the floor" with the "Original Pressing". To repeat my previous post: It's like the differences between the finest moving coil you've ever heard, and a decent $ 50 moving magnet, and that's being kind about the MM. To be frank, and to skip the diplomacy...The GI was much more immediate, transparent, natural, cleaner, quieter and had considerably more inner and outer details, greater separation of instruments, plus superior micro and macro dynamics. The sound-floor was also much lower. The bass and soundstage were about the same on both. The Living Presence had one advantage: a touch more "body".

Comparison Two- Golden Imports Vs. Speakers Corner Reissue

The Speakers Corner (SC) reissue was well made, which isn't surprising for this company. The LP was both flat and quiet, and the outer jacket was clear and glossy. The sonic comparison was also a lot closer. In fact, I even went back and forth a few times (A/B/A/B) to confirm what I heard. The SC had more body, more noticeable tape hiss and the bass also went a little lower. The GI, in turn, was more detailed (inner and outer), immediate, transparent and cleaner. Overall, I preferred the Golden Import, though the Speakers Corner was still quite respectable. Neither of them are "outstanding". To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed with these results, since I was hoping that the SC would be far better than the GI (like the finest Classic Records Mercury Reissues).

So, what is my opinion and advice at this point? (which can still change depending on other Speakers Corner Mercury Reissues I hear)...

The Mercury Pressings Dilemma

There are now four different pressings of the Mercury catalog, though only the original pressings are complete. Based on my auditions, this is how they rank in desirability (and I would read the fine details, because this is necessarily somewhat complicated):

1. Classic Records Reissues (both 33 and 45 RPM)- These are, by far, the best sounding Mercury pressings. Unfortunately, only six records were ever released by Classic. Three of them (Ravel, Prokofiev and Stravinsky) are among the very finest sounding records ever made by anyone. Every audiophile (with a turntable) should have these "big three".

2. Golden Imports (including the Canadian "Golden Series")- These are not in the same league as the Classic Records reissues, but a few of them are excellent. In fact, 6 of them are in The Supreme Recordings, and another 3 are in The Honorable Mentions. There are others that are pretty good, but they also have some problems, mainly from putting too much music on a side (and totally avoid all their "electronically enhanced stereo" LPs, they're awful). Further, and in consequence, the deep bass is rolled-off on many of them. If you find some pressings that match the original's musical selections, without any additions, then they are a safe choice. If not, then...

3. Speakers Corner Reissues- With the exception of the 9 total records mentioned above, which are already in The Supreme Recordings, these are now the best choice for the remainder of the Mercury catalog. They are new, and have sonics that are comparable to the best of the Golden Imports. They should be noticeably superior to those many Golden Imports with extra music. They also have the original covers etc. Hopefully, they will come out with all of the most in-demand Mercury recordings, including the rarities. I'm still hoping that this particular reissue is atypical, and their other Mercury reissues have superior results.

4. Original "Living Presence"- These are desirable only for serious "collectors of original pressings", who will want them regardless of their actual sound (which they almost always overestimate), and, of course, for all those music lovers looking for the Mercury recordings that were never reissued by anyone.

ImportantSeptember 2013 Mercury Update

I was fortunate enough to win an eBay auction of three Mercury classical reissues from Speakers Corner (I have never received any "review copies" from this label) in late August 2013. The three records are:

I have now auditioned these records, and I have great news to report: ALL THREE of these LPs are outstanding, and superior to BOTH the original (US Mercury) pressings and the Golden Imports reissues. This unexpected good news now changes my previous recommendations concerning Mercury Classical record pressings (seen above). As of NOW, this is what I advise...

With the exception of the "Big 3" Classic Records reissues (mentioned above), I now prefer the new Speakers Corner reissues over any alternatives I know at this time. Caveats- There could be future ORG releases (45 RPM) to take into consideration (I have one of them at present, to be auditioned). Also, "Winds in Hi-Fi" (SR90173), the first Speakers Corner reissue I heard, wasn't as successful as the others.

1. Early pressings- Once again the earlier pressings do sound better. The differences are noticeable; they are warmer, with more natural body, and have a larger soundstage etc. (Similar to the typical differences between tube and transistor amplifiers from that period.) So it's worth it to search them out, but only if the music and performance are important to you. However, none of the Columbia pressings sound good enough to make it a really big deal. Why?

Not even the finest Columbia records approach the sonics of any high quality RCA or Mercury, let alone the best from Decca and EMI. They're noticeably dirty, noisy and unnatural sounding, especially in the high frequencies, compared to the better recordings, let alone the best.

2. Later Pressings- As mentioned above, they're not quite as good, but, in most instances, it's nothing to worry about. I suspect the reason is simple; the master tapes weren't good enough in the first place to either make a great sounding record or to screw one of them up.

Further- The jazz records by Columbia, Miles Davis etc., are a totally different story. The early pressings are noticeably superior and are worth hunting down and paying the price premium. The recent reissues, by Classic Records, are still preferable (overall) to any pressings I've heard from the past, but my experience in this area is very limited. Many people, who are both objective and with more experience than I have, still prefer the originals.

DGG, PHILIPS ETC.

The best pressings I've heard from the DGG label are Canadian*, believe it or not! Why? I was told that they were mastered with high-quality tube* amplifiers. They're also cheap. Unfortunately, not too many titles were pressed, but don't pass them by if you see them.

Early German pressings are sometimes slightly better (they used thicker vinyl) than the reissues, but the differences are even smaller than with the Columbias. In fact, too small for anyone but the fanatics to care about, mainly because the recordings themselves are almost always mediocre, when compared to the best from Decca, RCA etc.

*The tube masterings must have this name and address on the back cover: "POLYGRAM INC. 6000 COTE DE LIESSE. ST. LAURENT, QUEBEC H4T 1E3 - MADE IN CANADA". Any other addresses should be avoided.

A Warning!!

Philips (Classical Music) Box Sets

Many of Philips classical music box sets have thin pieces of foam to take up empty space and keep the records in place. I've recently found that this foam is now disintigrating into dust. This dust may get into the grooves of the records, so I would, very carefully, remove all the foam. It can be replaced with similar sized cardboard.

RCA (CLASSIC RECORDINGS) - These reissues, on the whole, were a mixed success. While most of them could have been better, we should be grateful for what we did end up getting. I overrated the quality of these reissues when I first wrote and posted this essay 10 years ago. I have now listened to virtually every Classic reissue, and I am not as impressed as I was originally.

The collectors, and the dealers, were closer to the truth than I realized back then. However, their ignorant contention that all of these records are essentially "worthless", is just more self-serving and egotistical nonsense.

The naked hatred these collectors have for Classis Records all stems from the loss in monetary value of many of their (once expensive) originals, along with the further loss of their once exclusivity of ownership of some of the more ultra-rare titles. These collectors paid big money for some of the originals and assumed they would keep rising in value. That fantasy is over. In fact, some of the Classic reissues are now "collectibles" themselves, and worth considerable money.

The presentations, of course, are far superior; the glossy covers are as good as it gets, the vinyl is virgin and 180 grams. The sound, obviously the most important consideration, is far superior to the originals in many, if not most areas, but not all!

Many of the early reissues have a somewhat "cold, analytic" quality. They weren't "sterile", but there is a noticeable lack of natural warmth and bloom. At their worst, some of them sound unnaturally "bright", and even "metallic" at times.

While this is a real problem, the used record dealers have blown it all out of proportion, because in virtually every other way; cleanness, immediacy, precision, dynamics and frequency range etc., the reissues are far superior to the originals. Plus, the reissues are NEW, with all the advantages that entails.

The problems they do have were probably caused by a combination of solid-state mastering, instead of tubes that were used in the original pressings; the (now exposed) weaknesses within the original master tapes; and an inferior vinyl. The later RCA reissues used both a new vinyl formulation plus tube amplifiers (finally!) in the mastering process. They definitely sound better and should end the controversy for all but the most biased, who will never accept any reissues, no matter how good they sound.

Finally, on a personal note...

I have to admit that I have never been as impressed with the original RCA recordings as much as the best I've heard from the other Classical record labels. I still feel that Decca, EMI and Mercury, produced superior recordings (and eventually records).

That being said, I believe that the finest records, meaning the most "real" and "natural", were made by RCA until the middle to late 1960's. I find their early pressings usually superior to their rivals' equivalents, but they still could not match their rivals' later (and better) pressings mentioned above.

In conclusion: RCA's famous, "Golden Age" recordings, while still excellent or even better, and the finest available at their time of debut, are overrated in the final analysis.

CHESKY- These reissues, around for more than 10 years now, are more variable sonically than the Classic RCAs. Their covers are boring and some of the early titles had noisy surfaces. Their last releases, all using 180 gram vinyl, didn't have that problem. They also used superior mastering amplifiers.

The entire Chesky LP catalogue is now deleted. This is a true tragedy, because some of these later Chesky reissues were sonic masterpieces. In fact, one of them (Petroushka-Danon) may be the finest LP of an orchestra ever made!

DECCA (SPEAKERS CORNER)- These are almost all excellent. The biggest improvements are heard with the earliest recordings, which were mainly the "2000 series", or London "Bluebacks" (1956-1968). They actually sound "modern" for the first time, in the most positive sense of that word. However, I have found that the more recent the recording, the smaller the improvement in sound, but then this only makes sense since Decca itself had access to improved mastering equipment as the years went on.

In fact, a good number of these reissues, while still excellent, do not equal the sonics of the finest of the original pressings from Decca if it was a later recording (from around 1969 to 1982, the end of the analogue era). This is especially true if the original was a "G" pressing, which trumps everything else. Unlike the Classic RCAs, these reissues have no obvious downsides, and the selection is excellent.

DECCA/EMI (ALTO)- They are basically the same in quality as the Speakers Corner. However, two EMI Alto reissues I've heard are on 3 sides, in contrast to the original's two, and they are both stupendous. Both of these albums are in The Supreme Recordings.

EMI TESTAMENT- These reissues are mainly focused on early, EMI violin recordings. They sound decent and have quiet surfaces, but they are a disappointment in the final analysis. They are clean and transparent, but they are also quite dry and analytical. The originals are grossly overrated recordings, and they are usually incredibly over priced, but I still prefer them in sonics.

ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS - There are only a few classical reissues by this label (most are jazz etc.), but these few are superb, and some are outstanding. It's a shame that these, like the Cheskys, didn't sell better. If they did, we would have more titles by now. Instead, audiophiles have been spending their money on overpriced and inferior originals.

KING SUPER ANALOGUE - These are also Decca/London reissues. The now deleted, original Japanese pressings are pricey. They're usually cut at a low level, so you have to turn up the volume a little bit. One other problem; the liner notes are in Japanese only.

The Japanese pressings were uniformly excellent, and competitive with their English and Dutch equivalents. They had advantages with their quiet surfaces, heavy vinyl and large mastering amplifiers. I found some of them to be superior to their English equivalents (Three Cornered Hat-Ansermet and Mahler's 3rd-Mehta), but some of them were veiled in comparison (Russian Music-Ansermet). All of them were at least excellent.

The later (Cisco) pressings, still being made in the U.S., are not as successful as the older Japanese. I don't know why, but with a different pressing plant and vinyl formulation, a good educated guess can be made. On direct comparison, the Speakers Corner reissues are also superior. So these recent pressings are only recommended when there are no alternatives.

MERCURY (CLASSIC RECORDINGS)- Only six of them came out, and it's now doubtful whether any more will ever be made. They were mastered with tubes, just like the originals. The Mercury catalogue is the only one left that has great material that was never realized to its full sonic potential. At least 50 titles are "musts". I'm still hopeful that someone can make a deal with Mercury, and meet their (thank God) stringent standards and conditions.

I have since heard 5 out of the 6 titles. Three of them are stupendous, and two of them are big disappointments. The lengthy details of these auditions are in The Supreme Recordings.

MOBILE FIDELITY - They only made a small number of classical reissues, mainly during the first time around, in the early 1980's. They were usually excellent and very underrated, though a few of them were real "clunkers".

You can still get them for (mainly) reasonable prices. There were two UHQRs, and both are very desirable, and a few others that were also dynamite. The "details" are also in The Supreme Recordings.

Meanwhile, the pop, rock and jazz Mobiles were much more variable. A good number of them were major disappointments.

Classic Records Everest Reissues

I listened to 8 of the Everest reissues, 7 of which I purchased new (from Acoustics Sound, which had a sale on them for $ 25 each) and one was purchased used, when I won an auction on eBay. Their sonics are very similar, so I won't have to make a serious distinction between them. Here is what I have observed.

In general, they are excellent records, but not outstanding (with one exception). Their strengths are a full-bodied "musical" quality, that many audiophiles value, plus they have a large soundstage, and excellent bass. Their dynamic qualities are outstanding, and it's also important to note that the sonics don't degrade when the music becomes loud and complex, which is a rare quality. They also have some downsides...

They are somewhat "euphonic" and "forgiving" in character, like a vintage tube amplifier. They lack fine inner detail, and are also a little homogenized, even at low volume levels. They are somewhat veiled compared to the finest records, and their sound-floor is barely above average. They have an easily noticeable problem with speed stability, which may drive some sensitive listeners crazy. Finally, they lack that "alive" and "immediate" quality that the finest records possess. Still, quite a good score overall though, so all (but one) of them will be placed in The Honorable Mentions*.

Addendum 1: I've heard the original pressings of many Everest records, and none of them even approached the sound of these reissues. Worse, they used cheap vinyl, which was unacceptably noisy, even for its own day.

Addendum 2: I've compared these reissues to an older (Classic Records) Everest reissue from the late 1990's, which I now realize I underrated in the past; Antill's Corroboree (SDBR-3003). To be blunt: The Corroboree "wipes the floor" with all of them. It is a stunning recording, even shocking at times, with very interesting music. Make the comparison to hear for yourself the differences between "excellent" and "great".

Further, the Corroboree has no mention of a "35mm magnetic film recording", while these recent reissues make this highly prominent. Finally, the Corroboree has no "speed issues", while the recent reissues definitely do. So, "the big question": What Happened?

*One of them, DEFALLA-THE THREE-CORNERED HAT-JORDA-EVEREST SDBR 3057, is better than the others, and goes into The Basic List.

I wrote in generalities in this section. I was forced to, because within the subject of record pressings and labels, there are no"absolutes". There are exceptions to virtually everything I wrote within each label and pressing description; some early pressings actually sound excellent, and some of the reissues that I touted above may be inferior.

Below is a short list of my favorite recordings of the music of the great Classical composers which I also consider to be among their most essential to hear and own. This list will be for those audiophiles and/or music lovers who want to "get into Classical Music", but have found no other place to start. I'm not a musicologist, nor a formerly trained musician or record reviewer, but I've been listening and studying this music for more than 45 years, and the recordings I will choose have brought me great joy and satisfaction for many years and, in some instances, decades.

The music and the performances are the only two criteria on this list, and not the sonics, like The Supreme Recordings. I'm not even going to ignore the worst pressings. Finally, these compositions are almost all great masterpieces, meaning no one performance can ever be "definitive", so other choices may be equally (or even more) satisfying to many music lovers.

CAVEAT-Please be advised that the readers’ letters posted on this site are solely the opinion of that reader and may not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions of Arthur Salvatore or High-End Audio. These letters furthermore, are not to be taken as being endorsed by Arthur Salvatore or High-End Audio. They are posted because they may be edifying, thought provoking or entertaining.

**********************************************************

Decca and other LPs

Here is a letter from a reader based in the U.K. There is a lot of useful information about UK pressings and recordings that I felt should be shared. There's only very minor editing and my bold as usual:

"... You're obviously based in the United States, so I thought you might be interested to have a view from the UK. I've been buying records since I was a teenager in the late 1960s, almost entirely classical, including a lot of 20th century repertoire. I've never owned top-end playing equipment, not least because, in the crowded south-east of England, one has to consider one's neighbours. (If I could find a way of inducing 'bass roll-off' into the system of the guy in the next apartment...) In fact I'll listen to good music on almost anything - radio, CD, LP, even cassette. Each to his own!

I first became aware of the 'collectors' market' in older classical LPs six or seven years ago. There's a book here called Rare Classical Record Price Guide 2004 which values the Decca and EMI (including Columbia) series originally sold as full-price discs. It's a pretty shoddy effort: omissions, record data very inaccurate, and no effort to limit its pricing to what actually exists in terms of label types for a particular catalogue number. I got a copy, just to see if I had anything 'valuable'. I also got hold of a few dealers' lists, and have since been checking on-line sales listings from time to time. I was intrigued, let's say.

Many years ago, I used to go occasionally with a friend to book fairs. In the book world, the First Edition is king. A phrase we overheard one day became a standing joke between us: '...well, it's all right if you only want to read it...'. (How naive we had been, imagining that reading was what books were for.) For reading purposes, a paperback for a dollar or two at your local used bookshop is just as good as a hardback 'first' costing a hundred or two.

What seems to have happened is that record collectors have caught First Edition disease from the book world, and are trying to justify it by claiming that their 'firsts' do actually read/sound better. (Book collectors tend not to have such delusions.)

Collectors go by labels. You give some interesting opinions on the quality of Decca pressings based on dates. A while back, I compared the issue/review dates of the Decca SXLs with the first labels existing for each. This is what I came up with:

Wide band, grooved- Issues up to about late 1968
Wide band, no groove- Issues from late 1968 to mid 1970
Narrow band- Issues from mid 1970 onwards

What I noticed at once on reading your notes was that the superior Neumann SX-68 cutter was introduced in 1968, more or less coinciding with the abolition of the groove for which collectors will pay so dearly!

The majority of 1970s Decca LPs have dates on the inner sleeves, in the form '6-75', meaning June 1975. This is, of course, the date on which the inner sleeve was manufactured, and is likely to be earlier than the date the record inside was pressed. Dating of inner sleeves seems to have begun in about 1969 and tailed off in the early 1980s.

Since both matrix and record numbers were assigned more or less in sequence in most cases, it's usually possible to tell from the numbers approximately when a particular disc was mastered. In 1975, Decca was up to the high 6600s with its SXL numbers and the high 13000s for its ZAL matrix numbers. By 1979, matrix numbers were in the low 16000s. The copyright date (P in a circle) is often a good guide, too.

There are certainly differences in the exact colours of the narrow band labels. Both the black and the silvery colour vary, as does the degree of surface shine. I'd need to study them carefully to come up with any meaningful conclusions. The most obvious thing is that the lettering gradually changed from a bright, silvery-white to a duller greyish silver. (The same thing happened on the red Headline labels: compare early and late numbers of those and you'll see the basic difference.)

Concerning the Decca v London question, I'll attach a photo of a slip glued to the plain outer sleeve of a test pressing I remember buying soon after it was made. You'll see that it puts the two on an equal footing, as one would expect. In fact it looks as if they were planning to issue the London record first. The inner sleeve is dated 7-78, nine months earlier than the date on the slip itself.

One comment on your various lists, if I may. I note a dearth of recordings of 'standard' 18th/19th Century orchestral repertoire. On a label like Argo that's expected - it was used for the more esoteric music. But the mainstream Decca and EMI labels offered far more discs of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky et al than they ever did of the mainly 20th Century (with some pre-Baroque) repertoire that features so preponderantly in your lists.

I realize that you base the lists on sonics. Would this imbalance be caused by the fact that the scoring of this "standard" repertoire puts less strain on recording technology, thus giving less need (or opportunity) for excellence? Or is it rather that you never got round to listening to all the hundreds of versions of the symphonies of Beethoven et al? Equally, you have half a dozen string quartet recordings in your lower two categories but no other chamber music that I could see anywhere at all (e.g. duet sonatas, string or wind quintets). What's behind the absence of recordings in this category?"

Personal Notes:1. The reason why I don't have many "classical period" composers is because they were rarely well recorded. Many of these recordings are good, but only a rare few are "outstanding" or "stunning", which is my standard for inclusion. By contrast, modern composers, like Bartok, Britten, Stravinsky and Prokofiev, received the finest recordings, for reasons unknown to me, but I guess they required top notch sonics more than Mozart and Beethoven, whose recordings may sell well even with mediocre sound.

2. I have the photo of the mentioned internal "slip", which proves, once again, that Decca and London LPs were "equal". It is shown below. (This is the second definitive documented proof of London's equality with Decca, from Decca itself no less, which the "Decca superiority protagonists" have completely ignored. This is no surprise, since they've ignored reality for decades.)

For good measure, here is the first documented and definitive proof I received about Decca and London:

(Original) Everest Pressings

A reader sent me a letter describing his experiences with the original Everest Classical records, which I feel should be shared, even though I have no personal interest in these pressings. In fact, I've heard numerous Everest LPs over the years, and not even one of them impressed me, and not even one of them is in my collection. I found them veiled, distorted and noisy (because of the cheap vinyl). Maybe I was just unlucky, but in any event, here is his letter, with minor editing and my bold:

"I thought I'd share some observations regarding Everest records. The company had a very checkered history as you may know, and sound/pressing quality is all over the map. The first pressings (blue/silver label) are the ones most prized by collectors and sound uniformly terrible! Why anybody would pay big money for these discs is beyond me - they almost all sound shrill and harsh with unbearable noisy surfaces.

HOWEVER - the second label (maroon/gold) is a whole other story. While vinyl quality is still sometimes less than optimal, sound quality is largely extraordinary and surpasses any LP or CD reissues I have heard. It's incredible how much dynamic range they were able to get on these old discs, the only trade-off being a slight loss of low bass impact (probably the cutting heads couldn't handle any more!).

On the maroon/gold 'Pines of Rome', the thrilling fortissimo chord about two minutes into the piece comes across with absolutely no distortion or harshness (which is evident even on the best reissues.) Another thriller is the Stravinsky 'Ebony Concerto' with Woody Herman (historically important as he was the dedicatee.) The physical presence of the band in the listening room is uncanny, but please be aware that later pressings of the same record sound terrible.

That brings us to the real problem: both early and late pressings can sound bad making it something of a crap shoot to find the right one. Often the later gold/black pressings are a good compromise. The common blue/red label can be either excellent or execrable!

Anyway, I've never gone wrong with the second label and have almost the whole run of original Everest recordings with it. Do try to track some of them down - the 'Corroboree' will knock your socks off! It's worth mentioning that most of their records are of surpassing artistic value - evidently they let their amazing roster of talent (Goossens, Stokowski and Sargent in particular) call the shots with results that surpassed many of their projects with more mainstream labels. You'll never hear an Everest performance that sounds studio-bound or "canned."

Overall I find Everest maroon/gold stereo and SOME of the Mercury 50000-series monos (in the MF pressings) to come closest of any Classical LPs to recreating the dynamic and emotional impact of live orchestral music." (11/12)

Fascinating Britten Decca Recording Documentary

A reader sent me a letter about this documentary, which can be seen on YouTube. The documentary concerns the 1967 recording of Britten's short opera: "The Burning Fiery Furnace". The LP is part of "The Demi-Gods" of The Supreme Recordings, which means it is one of the finest engineered recordings I've ever heard. Here is the link:

I was totally mesmerized by this documentary, seeing many legendary performers, producers and engineers, as well as Benjamin Britten himself (almost all of them now dead). The sound is quite good as well. This documentary answers the question as to why Britten, record for record, received the best engineering of any composer (at least for Decca). It includes this important quote from the famous record producer, and narrator, John Culshaw, as to why they went to so much trouble when making a recording:

"...so that the listener at home who really listens, and he's the only sort of listener we make records for, will have an aural picture in front of him."

Further, at 48:35, Culshaw discusses the importance of using high quality audio equipment with his recordings. All in all, this is a documentary that should not be missed by anyone interested in many of the individuals who took the recording of music as seriously as anyone ever has. (03/13)

Important Notice- As of October 1, 2012, there is a minimum fee of $ 10 for me to answer a simple enquiry, which means any question that I can read, analyze and answer very quickly, without research and too much thought. Anything else will cost more, and I will accordingly provide quotes for approval. PayPal is being used for its convenience, universality and security. If interested, click on "Ask Arthur".

There are two exemptions to the payment fees. 1. Those select readers who have provided an important service (usually information that was posted) to this website over the years. 2. Those situations where I feel that I overlooked something important and/or was obtuse in my post, and thus some necessary clarification is required on my part. That will always be gratis. I don't believe in being unfair or petty, especially to my own readers.

Finally, a veteran reader wrote that I "should also have a link for (generic) donations to keep the website going". I replied that the Donation button can also be used by appreciative readers for that purpose. Needless to say, any unsolicited donation from a generous reader receives my sincerest thanks and gratitude.